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Two police watchdogs are considering launching a formal investigation into Dame Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, following the report on police corruption protecting Daniel Morgan’s killers.
Since the release of the Morgan report, which directly criticized Dick for obstructing the government-sponsored investigation, the Independent Office for Police Conduct has questioned whether she, as well as other past and present officers who have been criticized, should face action.
Due to Dick’s seniority, in the first place, any decision to fire Dick for investigation would be made by the Mayor’s Office for Police and Crime (Mopac). He oversees the Met and is part of the administration of the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.
Mopac believes he has a statutory responsibility to consider whether Dick should be investigated as a result of his censorship by Morgan’s commission of inquiry. He has now confirmed that he does.
In addition, the IOPC plans to use its special powers to launch an investigation, even if the Met Police’s watchdog refuses to do so.
Mopac said: “In accordance with its statutory responsibility, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime is reviewing all possible conduct issues relating to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner arising from the Independent Panel Report Daniel Morgan.”
IOPC and Mopac officials discussed the potential need for an investigation of the commissioner following the Morgan report, sources said.
The IOPC said, “If the allegations are not communicated to us, the impact on public confidence may justify us considering using our appeal powers.
“We also have a dedicated team that is actively reviewing the report and the panel’s comments to assess our next steps. “
The report on Morgan’s 1987 murder, the private investigator found dead in the parking lot of a South London pub, accused the Met of placing the protection of his reputation above the search for the truth. The actions of Dick, who was deputy commissioner in 2013, were withered when then Home Secretary Theresa May ordered an investigation into Morgan’s death and police corruption allegations.
The report personally criticized Dick for obstructing access to documents the panel deemed essential and accused the force of causing delays, which meant it took the panel eight years to come to its explosive conclusion that the Met was institutionally corrupt. Dick and the Met have denied both damaging claims.
In police disciplinary investigations, a notice is issued to the officer concerned specifying the potential scope of the allegations. Due to the gravity of the Morgan report’s conclusion, it could mean serious misconduct, the most serious charge in the police discipline code and carrying a maximum term of termination.
The standard for initiating an investigation is an indication that an officer has violated professional standards. Once a disciplinary investigation has started, it can continue even after an officer retires.
Speculation has grown over the future of Dick who attended a ceremony at St James’s Palace on Wednesday to make her a lady commander of the civil service.
Khan said the commissioner had not told her or indicated whether she wanted to stay at the end of her five-year term next April.
A government source said there could be informal talks next month on whether the commissioner wishes to stay. Members of the government believe it would be up to Dick to indicate that she wants an extension, while those close to Dick believe it is up to “politicians” to indicate whether they want her to stay.
Over the past seven days, Dick has come under fire for alleged police failures that allowed people to storm Wembley Stadium ahead of the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy on Sunday. The Met believe stadium security was primarily Wembley’s business, not them.
The Met was also under pressure on Friday after Wayne Couzens, a serving Met officer, admitted to the murder of Sarah Everard. The Met is under investigation by the police watchdog over whether it properly investigated two allegations of indecent exposure allegedly committed by Couzens at a McDonald’s, just three days before he never kidnaps Everard on a south London street.
Dick defended his officers on Wednesday after the breach at Wembley Stadium: “There is a tremendous amount of inaccurate speculation about what has happened right now. I am very proud of my officers and the command team, ”she said.
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